


Baby, Don't Fuck with Us

by BambiDoe



Series: Sweet Revenge [1]
Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, The Used
Genre: Blowjobs, M/M, M/M/M, Multi, Revenge Sex, Threesome, pretty much frank x everybody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 04:57:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5321321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BambiDoe/pseuds/BambiDoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank befriends the two men his boyfriend is cheating on him with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you're thinking. Yes, I've posted this before.
> 
> I wrote this fic a while back and I loved the idea but, I feel like I didn't write it the way I wanted to because I was too afraid that people wouldn't like it. (I know y'all have probably done it before.) So I was like "hey im gonna rewrite it and give this storyline the fic it deserves!" The only thing that is the same is the very beginning. The rest is gonna be way different and way dirtier so I'm gonna completely delete the original and forget it ever happened. Is that cool?

"If I can't have Gerard, no one can." 

That's basically the only thought that's running through Frank's mind as he sits on the other man's front porch. He rereads the address on the notecard over and over again, making sure he has the right place. (Pro tip: If your side boy gives you his home address, don't leave it out on the kitchen counter where it can easily be found.) It definitely matches up. This has to be the right place. Maybe he's just not home yet. 

Frank has his revenge all planned out. First, he's gonna confront this asshole. Then, he's gonna embarrass the everloving shit out of him. He's gonna call him what he is. A homewrecker, a whore, a complete and total waste of space. And after that, well, he hasn't gotten that far. All he knows is that he's going to show absolutely no mercy. This dude's life will be in shambles when he’s through with him.

And then he'll move on to the next boy if he can track him down.

Being out here all alone with his thoughts is the one thing Frank doesn't need right now. In a way, he really wishes this guy will just show up so he can get his revenge and move on with his life. He has too much time to overthink things. There's a small part of him that wants to go running back. He could forgive Gerard if he tried hard enough. They could go to therapy and work on things together. After all, Frank is his favorite, unlike the other two. 

It's been forty-five minutes since he arrived and Frank is starting to rethink everything. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. He had a goal in mind when left the house this morning. Now, he can't even really tell what he was going for. What was it exactly? Just a long list of insults and vague threats he would never follow through with. He never really worked it all out. 

It isn't too late to turn back around and just forget it. He could just straight-up ask Gerard about the other two men in his life. Of course, he'd probably lie and try to deny everything, though. That wouldn't give Frank the closure he needs. He needs to see these guys in the flesh. He needs to tell them exactly how he feels about them. How dare they come in and ruin everything?

Deep down, he knows it really isn't their fault. Gerard is really the one who cheated. They probably have no idea he even exists. But, it's so much easier to pin the blame on some anonymous faces than have to face the facts. Gerard doesn't love him as much as he says he does. He never did.

A car pulls up in the driveway and Frank's heart feels like it will either stop, or jump right the fuck out of his chest and bounce across the street. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, trying to kill off all the unnecessary adrenaline running through his body. This is it. This is the moment he's been waiting for. 

The car door open and a man gets out, eyeing Frank curiously. There he is. That's him. Fuck him. The anger that had motivated Frank to drive all the way down here in the first place has returned full force. 

"Can I help you with somethin', man?" The man asks. 

Everything seems to be going in slow motion. Frank stands up and looks the guy straight in the eyes. He shaking hands are balled up in fists. Even though this guy has to be at least six inches taller, Frank thinks he might have a pretty good shot at knocking him out. 

He decides against it, though. Punching him in the face isn't going to get him answers and a lawsuit is the last thing he needs right now. 

"So, are you the one with the choking fetish, or the one that gives good head?" Frank asks. 

The way the man's face turns red is a dead giveaway. He knows what Frank is talking about. 

"I read all of Gerard's text messages. He tells Bob everything. Are you Adam or Bert?"

There's no point in lying now. Frank has him cornered. 

"I'm Adam. Come on inside. Let's sit down and talk about this."

Frank reluctantly follows him in the house. It's a small, tidy place that sort of reminds him of the home his grandmother lived in when he was growing up. 

"You wanna smoke?" Adam asks, holding out a pack of cigarettes. Frank takes one, despite having a pack of his own in the pocket of his jacket. It's getting harder and harder for Frank to stay angry.

"So how long were you guys together?" Frank asks.

Sitting in Adam's living room is probably one of the most tense and awkward things Frank has ever been through. 

"Not very long." Adam replies, "Do you want some coffee?"

It's obvious, he's changing the subject just to break up some of the tension. Frank takes the opportunity to look around. There are framed prints hanging up all over the walls. One of them catches Frank's attention. He recognizes that style from anywhere. 

“I hope you don’t mind drinking it black.” Adam says, as he returns with a small mug of coffee in each hand. The familiar coffee smell is soothing for some reason. Frank is glad he didn’t turn it down.

"Gerard painted that." Frank replies, as he takes the coffee. He knows Adam knows which one he's referring to. There's no need to point it out. 

Adam sits on the couch right next to Frank. Close, but not too close. 

“He gave it to me for my birthday last year. I’d give it back to him, since we’re apparently not together anymore, but I kinda like it there. It’s cool.”

Last year. They’ve been together a lot longer than Frank had originally thought. He had just assumed that they were only together for a few weeks or so. The thought of being lied to for over an entire year makes Frank’s skin crawl. How could he not have noticed? Gerard isn’t even that great of a liar. The signs were all there. Adam, on the other hand, seems completely unfazed by the news. He might have already suspected something long before Frank did.

"How long were you guys together?" Frank repeats the question that Adam had just barely dodged earlier. 

"About three years."

Adam’s demeanor is still very nonchalant. Something seems off but, Frank chooses to ignore it. Whatever happened between the two of them isn’t important right now. What’s done is done. There’s nothing either of them can do to change things.

"That's a long time. You're not pissed off that he cheated on you?"

Frank takes a sip of his coffee as he waits for an answer. It's just the perfect temperature right now.  
“We weren’t-” Adam pauses for a moment and then starts again. “We had an on and off kind of thing. It didn’t really mean shit. I could probably find a better fuck somewhere else.”

That’s it. That’s the problem. He’s not hurt and Frank wants him to be. It isn’t fair. Frank is trying to figure out how to put his whole fucking life back together, and Adam is sitting comfortably in his living room, sipping coffee, and debating whether or not he likes Gerard’s painting enough to keep it hanging up on the wall.

“We met at a comic convention. He told me I had the best goddamn Spider-man costume he had ever seen. I knew he was talkin’ a bunch of bullshit but, I went along with it anyway. He bought me some comics. I have a box of ’em in my room and, like, we both liked comics...”

Adam rambles on, jumping from story to story, and acting out every other word with a semi-relevant hand gesture. The longer he talks, the more southern he sounds. He’s definitely not from Jersey. Frank can’t place the accent, though. He gives up on trying to follow along and resorts to picking up bits and pieces.

From what Frank can tell, they were more like friends with benefits than lovers. In a way, the thought gives him a little bit of peace. Between the two of them, he’s Gerard’s favorite. Unfortunately, there’s still a chance Gerard likes Bert the best.

Frank’s coffee is cold now. He finishes it anyway, just to be polite.

"I can see why Gerard is into you." Adam says, suddenly. "You've got a pretty face."

Frank can feel himself blushing. Adam isn’t bad looking himself. At least Gerard cheated with somebody who wasn’t totally unsightly. 

“You said you read all of his text messages to his friends, right?” Adam asks, snapping Frank out of his thoughts. He didn’t realize that he had been spacing out for a short while.

Frank nods.

“Yeah. He talked shit about all of us. I can’t believe I even liked him.”

That’s a lie. He’s not over Gerard yet. But, he wants to play it off like he doesn’t care as much as he really does. He has to remind himself that Adam isn’t the enemy in all of this.

"What did he say about me? Come on, I told you everything you wanted to know.”

Frank sighs and stares into his empty mug.

“Well, he said you were clingy and you gave shitty blowjobs. If you wanna know the truth.”

Adam looks a little bit stunned at first but, then he laughs. 

“Whatever. My blowjobs must not’ve been that bad because he always came in like, five seconds. I barely had time to get him all the way in my mouth. That’s his own damn fault.”

Frank can’t help but laugh too. He starts to point out that Gerard said Bert was a “blowjob pro” so, a lack of time really wasn’t a good excuse but, he decides it’s best to keep his mouth shut. They haven’t even met him yet. It wouldn’t be fair to pit Adam and Bert against each other.

“Did he say anything good about me, though?” Adam asks, hopefully. 

In all honesty, Frank kind of blocked out all of the positive things Gerard has said about the other two. Luckily Adam throws another question at him before he has time to make up another lie.

“Did he say anything about the comics I bought him? The rare ones I found at a garage sale?”

“No. I don’t remember reading anything about that.”

It’s at that exact moment, that Frank can practically see Adam’s heart shatter into tiny little pieces. He knew Gerard wasn’t in love with him. That was fine. He just didn’t realize how little Gerard actually cared.

“He might have told him about it in person, though.” Frank adds quickly, trying to spare Adam’s feelings. 

“Maybe.”

He doesn’t sound hopeful.

“Do you think Bert is hot?” Frank asks. 

It’s a ridiculous question and he knows it.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him. Why?”

Frank looks away, trying to avoid any eye contact. 

“I’m just wondering. Gerard seems to have good tastes in men.”

Adam smiles, flashing the kinds of bright white teeth that Frank had only seen on television until now.

“Yeah. I mean, he fucked both of us. But, then again, maybe he’s really ugly and Gerard is only with him because he can suck a mean dick.”

The way Adam says it makes Frank laugh.

“You’ve sucked him off before, right? You can vouch for me when I say he cums too fast? I’m not that bad at it.”

Frank isn’t sure what he’s more surprised by: Adam’s question, or the fact that he has no problem answering. Gerard didn’t keep secrets, so why should they?

“Honestly, I never liked giving ‘em much. He was okay with it, though. I guess because he was getting ‘em from somewhere else. It kinda makes sense now that I think about it.”

“Yeah,” Adam agrees, “He always begged for me not to leave marks.”

“Did he give you the whole ‘Oh! I don’t want to show up to work with hickeys!’ speech?” Frank asks, doing his best, nasally “Gerard voice.”

Adam nods.

“Oh yeah. He would barely let me touch him without freakin’ out about it. But, you should have seen the bruises he left on me. That was kinda my fault, though. I told him to do it.”

Frank starts to wonder what Gerard is like in bed with someone else. The thoughts he had been trying to push away since the night he found out are creeping back and there’s no stopping them. He has to know.

“He was good to you, wasn’t he?” Frank asks.

His worst fear is that Gerard is some kind of pervert, acting out creepy fetishes on the side to keep it from interfering with his personal life. People do that sometimes. It’s not uncommon.

“Yeah. He made sure we had a safeword, and cuddles, and everything. If you didn’t show up on my porch today, I would have believed he loved me.”

“Okay. Good,” Frank sighs, “I was afraid there might have been another side to him that I didn’t know about. Y’know?”

“I get it. If he were a total creep, I would have told you about it. I don’t have any reason to cover for him.”

There’s no clock on the wall but, judging by the lighting in the house, Frank can tell it’s getting late. He’s been here a few hours at least.

“I better start heading home. I’ll leave you alone, now.”

Adam looks almost offended that Frank is ready to leave.

“You don’t have to go. You can stay for dinner at least. I can order pizza or something if you’re hungry.”

Pizza sounds really good right now but, Frank doesn’t want to be rude. 

“No. It’s fine. I don’t have any money on me right now. Thank you, though.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Adam insists, “I’ll pay for it. I just-- I don’t really wanna deal with this by myself. I need like, a distraction. You should spend the night. It’ll be like a sleepover.”

Frank understands. Sleeping alone after a breakup always sucks.

“I guess I can stay. Maybe I can pay you back for the food some other time.”

It isn’t until after the words leave his mouth, that Frank realizes he just implied that they would see each other again.

“It’s okay. Pizza is like, what? Ten bucks? You don’t need to pay me back. Unless you wanna show me how to give a decent blowjob.”

Frank knows he added the last part as a joke but, he takes the opportunity to flirt. Is Adam his type? No. Is he going to hit on him just because he’s single now? Yes.

“I’ll really do it if you’re down for it.” He says.

A wave of regret washes over him suddenly. That might have been a little too bold. Luckily, Adam doesn’t seem bothered by it. He just laughs and pulls his phone out of his pocket.

“Not tonight. If we both weren’t so heartbroken, I’d take you up on it, though.”

And now, Frank doesn’t know what to say. His face is burning and his heart is fluttering in his chest. This is the worst time to develop a crush on somebody.

“So what do you like on your pizza?” Adam asks.

“It doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t have meat. I’m a vegetarian.”

He hopes he isn’t being too picky. Adam calls and orders a pizza and a two liter of Coca Cola. 

“They said it would be about forty-five minutes. Do you want me to show you around the house a little while we’re waiting?”

Frank nods. He’s actually really eager to see what the rest of this place looks like.

“This isn’t weird is it? Like, you don’t think I’m weird for begging you to stay?”

It is a little unusual but, it’s nice to have someone new to talk to. Frank never realized how much time he spent with Gerard. 

“Not really. People go home with strangers they met at bars all the time. We just met under different circumstances.”

That’s a nice way to put it.

“Okay cool,” Adam motions for Frank to follow him down the hall. “That door right there is the bathroom. The room down there at the end is the laundry room. We don’t really need to check that out. And my bedroom is this one right here.”

His bedroom isn’t nearly as neat as the living room. It’s not a total disaster but, it definitely could use some organizing. Frank pretends not to notice the small stash of empty whiskey bottles littering the TV stand.

“Sorry it’s a fuckin’ wreck. I haven’t had company in a while.”

Frank shrugs like it’s no big deal. It really isn’t. His own room doesn’t look much better anyway. He looks at the bed, suddenly realizing that there’s a really, really, really good chance that they’ve fucked on it. Hell, they might have fucked on the couch he had been sitting on earlier. 

“Anyway, the pizza should be here pretty soon. You can go wash your hands or something if you want.”

They only ordered it about ten minutes ago. It’s not even close to being ready yet. Frank knows Adam caught him staring. His thoughts must have been written all over his face.

“Did Gerard come over here a lot?” He asks. There’s nothing to lose. He might as well be upfront.

“Not really. He usually invited me over to his place. You didn’t live with him, did you?”

“No. I spent a lot of time there, though. I even suggested he give me my own key.”

The conversation replays in his head. He had brought it up and, of course, Gerard came up with some excuse not to give him one.

“He didn’t wanna give you a key because he didn’t want you to walk in on us, huh?” 

Frank looks glumly at the floor. The longer he thinks about it, the more humiliated he feels. All of the signs were there. How could he have missed them? 

The doorbell rings suddenly and Frank is grateful that he doesn’t have to continue the conversation. 

“Shit. It’s here already? I gotta go grab some cash. I’ll be right back.” 

Adam dashes back to the kitchen, disappearing from view. Frank hopes this won’t take too long. He hates being left standing awkwardly in the hallway. 

Fortunately, Adam returns quickly, carrying the box of pizza. 

“They forgot the drink,” he whines. “I guess if you want somethin’ to drink, you can help yourself to the fridge.”

It doesn’t matter how thirsty Frank is, he absolutely will not raid someone’s fridge no matter how many times they say it’s okay. He’d rather just suck it up and deal with it.

They spend the rest of the evening sharing pizza and chatting. 

“We should track down Bert and call Gerard out on his shit.” Frank says. 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. How are we gonna do that? I don’t even know how you found my place.” 

Frank pulls the wadded up notecard out of his pocket. 

“He left your address out on the counter. That’s what made me think to look through his phone. I never would have suspected anything otherwise.” 

“You didn’t find any texts to this guy?”

Frank shakes his head. Gerard was smart enough to delete any conversations they had. 

“Nope. He forgot to delete his texts to his friends, though. That’s how I found all of his texts to Bob. He probably has his number saved. I didn’t think to check. I was so pissed off..”

He trails off, shoving the last of his pizza into his mouth. 

“Imagine his face when he sees us all together.” Adam laughs. “We’ll get him back.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how short and boring this chapter is. I PROMISE Gerard will be in the next one so just stick with me here. Anyway, updates might be slowing down from here on out because of work and other priorities but, I'll do my best.
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos and subscriptions and everything! i know I'm not the best writer so, it really means a lot.

“So, are you okay with sharing a bed, or do you want me to take the couch?” Adam asks. 

“We can share,” Frank replies. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch. Today has been shitty enough already.”

Adam hops up on the bed and buries himself up to his chin in a mountain of blankets. He pats the empty space next to him. Neither one of them bothered to dig through Adam’s closet to find pajamas. Underwear works just the same.

“C’mere.” 

Frank laughs. Adam might be the most shameless person he’s ever met; a complete one-eighty from Gerard. It’s no wonder they never had a real relationship. Other than their love of comic books, they don’t seem to have very much in common.

The bed is soft and comfy and smells like a mixture of cigarette smoke and laundry detergent. 

“I should probably call Gerard and tell him I’m spending the night at a friend’s house. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

There’s a long, drawn out silence between them.

“Frank, you’re not with him anymore, remember? He cheated on you. You don’t owe him shit.” Adam’s voice is just barely above a whisper.

“I know I don’t owe him anything but, he’s gonna freak out if I just fuckin’ disappear. I’m not ready to face him yet. If I tell him I’m with someone else, it’ll buy me some time before I have to see him face to face.”

He decides not to call. A text will be good enough. Hearing Gerard’s voice is going to be too much to handle right now. He wants to forget. At least just for tonight. He’ll deal with feelings and all that shit tomorrow.

_hey gerard_  
im spending the night at jamias   
my phone died earlier sorry 

He starts to add “I love you” but, decides against it. 

Forget him. Forget him. Forget him.

Adam yawns and rolls over, facing Frank. 

“Hey Frank?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not one of those people that has to hug something when they sleep, are you?”

Frank can’t exactly tell where he’s going with this. It might be a not-so-subtle hint at something, or it could just be that he genuinely wants to know.

“No. I don’t think so. No one has said anything about it if I am.”

“Okay. Well, I’m totally okay with platonic cuddling. Just, for future reference.”

“Same here. Kissing is okay, too. You know, it’s easier to get over somebody when you have someone else to kiss.”

He knows he’s probably coming off as desperate but, honestly, he kind of is. Keeping his mind off of Gerard is hard. If he could replace him, just for tonight, things might not seem so bad in the morning.

“Yeah. Kissing isn’t totally off the table either. Anything above the belt is fine.” 

Frank can’t help but laugh. He’s in bed with his (ex) lover’s other (ex) lover, talking about how far they’re willing to go with each other. This kind of shit only happens in cheesy made-for-TV movies. It doesn’t happen in real life. Does it?

“We just fuckin’ met! I can’t believe we’re already setting boundaries.” He points out.

“‘People take home strangers all the time’. Remember that?” 

Of course Frank remembers. 

“Yeah. And, as long as they’re single, it’s alright for them to fuck without any commitments. So, _just_ making out is like, no big deal.” 

“That’s true.” 

Another long pause. This time, it isn’t painfully awkward. There’s a strange type of tension in the air. It’s not unpleasant but, it isn’t necessarily sexual tension either. It’s something in between. Whatever it is, Frank feels like he needs to get it off of his chest. 

“We’re laying here trying to justify making out like we’re at church camp or something. Why don’t we just go ahead and fuckin’ do it?” He asks. The way he says it makes it sound like a challenge. 

There’s nothing stopping them, seeing as they’re both single now. If he decides he never wants to see Adam again, he can walk out the door and never come back. 

Frank leans in and kisses Adam softly, before he has the chance to talk himself out of it. It’s the first time he’s kissed anyone other than Gerard in years, and the feeling is incredible. It’s so new, and different, and exciting, and intense.

Adam kisses him back, brushing his tongue along Frank’s bottom lip. It’s fucking magical. Frank’s heart races; speeding up to what feels like a thousand beats per second, pumping blood from his brain to some place a little bit lower. He reaches over and wraps his fingers around Adam’s throat, applying just enough pressure to make him moan into the kiss. That’s what he’s into, according to Gerard’s texts to Bob. Why not just go for it and see what happens?

“Fuck,” Adam whispers, as soon as they break the kiss. “You’re a good kisser.”

Frank grins, his flushed cheeks turning even more red at the compliment.

“You’re not bad either.”

“I think I’d be a lot better if I knew your little kinks like you know mine. You kinda cheated when you went for the throat.”

“Alright, well, if we ever kiss again, I make sure I don’t ‘cheat’.” Frank teases. 

He says ‘if’ because he knows it’s probably better for both of them if it doesn’t happen again. Adam is fun and he’s easy to talk to but, he’s too convenient right now. Under different circumstances, Frank wouldn’t see him as much more than a cute friend.

“Do you wanna do it again?” Adam asks.

Frank rolls over onto his back, staring up towards the ceiling.

“Not tonight. Maybe some other day, when I’m totally over Gerard. I don’t wanna use you as a rebound or anything. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.”

“Okay. Yeah. I forgot you were a lot closer to him than I ever was. We were never really committed to each other like that.” 

Frank is relieved that he doesn’t sound offended by the rejection.

“You’re lucky.” He says, bitterly. “I feel like the last seven years were a total waste. He should have just left me, instead of stringing me along that whole time. It sucks.”

The air in the room is chilly and Frank silently wishes he had some more blankets, or at least, a shirt. He has no idea what time it is now. One? Four? The last time he looked at the time, it was midnight. That was right before they went to bed. He can feel Adam shuffling around next to him.

“That’s exactly why I don’t do long-term relationships anymore. There are only so many breakups you can go through before you just say ‘fuck it.’ I don’t think people are really meant to stay together that long.”

Frank sighs. Despite his anger, he really wants Gerard back. He tries to imagine what life is going to be like without him. They won’t get to hang out at the coffee shop early in the morning, or go on long drives late at night. It won’t be the same.

“Do you think there’s a chance me and Gerard could work things out? I can talk him into an open relationship, maybe. We could set some ground rules...”

Sharing him won’t be so bad. As long as Gerard is honest, there shouldn’t be a problem. Things will almost be back to normal again. That’s how it works, right? It’s not like open relationships have never worked out for anyone. 

“Look, Frank. I’m the worst person to ask for relationship advice. I think I’ve fucked up every relationship I’ve ever been in. Just do whatever you wanna do. Gerard is all yours. I’m not getting back with him.”

The hint of frustration in his voice throws Frank off for a second. He wonders if the question was out of line somehow. It could just be jealousy. It’s obvious that Gerard always loved him more. Bert and Adam were just a side thing.

“I think we should both get some sleep.” He says.

As soon as he shuts his eyes, he can hear his phone vibrate. It has to be Gerard texting him back. No one else would be trying to get in touch with him this late. He ignores it. Now is not the time. He really, really desperately needs to sort out his thoughts before he talks to Gerard again.

“Goodnight. I’m sorry I kinda snapped at you.” Adam says, quietly.

Frank utters a soft “‘night” in response. He doesn’t even bother to open his eyes. Even though his body is so fucking comfortable, his mind is still racing. He goes over hundreds of scenarios in his head, imagining how things could have turned out different. If only he were prettier, kinkier, taller, neater, quieter, more artistic, less messy.

Adam is now snoozing soundly, completely oblivious to Frank’s mental pity party. His breathing is slow and even. It must be nice to be able to fall asleep so easily.  
A sudden feeling of loneliness starts to consume Frank’s every thought. He scoots closer to Adam, nestling himself into the taller man’s side. Even though he explicitly said cuddling was okay, Frank is still careful not to wake him up. All he wants right now is to pretend like he’s with Gerard. Waking him might mean they’ll end up talking to each other, ruining the illusion. 

With Adam’s body heat keeping him warm, Frank tries to count each breath in an effort to fall asleep. 

One...Two...One...Two...One...Two...

His thoughts begin to jumble together as he dozes off. It’s getting more and more difficult to tell what’s real and what’s just a dream.

The last thing he remembers is wondering if Gerard even misses him at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wasn't even planning on updating this today but I'm feeling really sick so I had a lot of time to write a short chapter. sorry about any weird sentences, I tried to proofread but my brain is fried right now.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! It warms my little emo heart.

“Gerard? I’m here!” Frank calls out, his voice echoing through the apartment. Gerard’s house is like his second home. As long as the door is unlocked, he just comes and goes as he pleases.

Gerard is hunched over the dining room table, sketching something on a sheet of paper. The dining room table has sort of become a small workspace for him. Nobody comes over and eats there, anyway. The sun shines through the window during the day, giving him the best lighting possible.

“So, why did you decide to stay over at Jamia’s?” Gerard asks, not taking his eyes off of his work. His voice doesn’t sound suspicious or angry, That’s good. It sounds more concerned than anything else. “It’s not really like you to just leave without saying anything. I was kinda worried something had happened to you.”

Frank can see a look of relief in Gerard’s eyes. He’s really the sweetest person Frank has ever known, and it makes it so hard not to love him. 

Gerard sets his pencil down and cracks his knuckles. Something just doesn’t quite look right. 

“Well, one of Jamia’s friends borrowed her laptop and fucked it up so, she asked me to take a look at it. I don’t know shit about computers but, I couldn’t say no. I promised her I would at least try.” Frank says. 

He planned this whole lie out last night. Gerard and Jamia aren’t close at all. Unless he suspected Frank was up to something, he would never think to call and verify that he was with her.

“It took you all night?”

Frank is so glad Gerard has his eyes glued to his work instead of him. He tries to make sure his body language doesn’t give anything away. Don’t blink too much. Don’t blink too little. Try to look him directly in the eyes but, don’t stare too hard.

“No. We gave up after a few hours because I was feeling a killer migraine coming on. She wouldn’t let me drive like that. You know how she is.”

Gerard grunts and erases a few details. He’s working way too hard on this for it to just be one of his practice sketches. Frank wonders if he’s planning on giving it to someone. Bert may have not gotten one from him yet. It could be for him. Or, it could be for Adam since he liked the other one enough to hang it on his living room wall

“What are you working on?” Frank asks, peering over Gerard’s shoulder. He can’t tell exactly what Gerard is going for yet. So far, it just looks like a bunch of shapes.

“Well, it started off as a practice thing but, I really kinda like it. I think it would look great as a painting. If I used some reds here and maybe like, some grey in this part...”

His eyes sparkle as he talks about his work. He’s so passionate about it. That’s part of the reason Frank fell in love with him in the first place. he has to remind himself that Gerard is a cheater. Gerard doesn’t love him. It’s all a big, huge, fucking lie.

“Are you gonna give it to someone?” He asks.

Gerard rubs the back of his neck, trying to relieve some of the tension building up in his muscles from hunching over for so long. 

“No. Why would you think that?”

Frank shrugs.

“I don’t know. I just thought you were for some reason. Can I borrow your phone?”

He switches subjects quickly before Gerard has a chance to really answer.

“What do you need it for? Did you break yours again?”

He’s hiding something. It’s so, so obvious. Otherwise, he’d let him use it without hesitation. 

“No. I just didn’t have a charger at Jamia’s and the battery died. Just let me use yours for a minute. I need to call my mom back. She’s probably freaking out because I forgot.”

Gerard glances up and Frank and then back down at his paper. 

“It’s on the counter next to the coffee pot.”

“Alright. Thanks.” He leans forward and gives Gerard a quick kiss on the cheek. “I love you so much. You know that?”

It might not be a total lie. He would still love Gerard with all of his heart if he didn’t break his trust.

Gerard smiles and blushes a little.

“I love you, too.”

Frank’s hands are shaking when he picks up the phone. Gerard was so reluctant to give it to him. There are probably incriminating texts left over that he forgot to delete. He wants to go through them so bad but, now isn’t the time. If Gerard finds out, it’s over. He won’t get a shot at getting revenge later.

Instead, he shuts himself in Gerard’s bedroom and actually calls his mom, staying on the line with her for about thirty minutes. It’s crucial that her name shows up on Gerard’s outgoing calls. If it doesn’t, he’ll suspect something is up. When she finally hang up, after what seems like an eternity, he ends the call and goes directly to Gerard’s contacts. He has to find this number fast.

Bert Mccracken.

That must be him.

Gerard has his first and last name written out so, to anyone looking through his phone, it would look like some professional contact. A coworker, or boss, maybe. His close friends and family are listed under either nicknames or first names. Frank’s name has a heart emoji next to it. It’s confirmation that he’s the main boy. The one that gets to meet the parents.

Frank digs around in Gerard’s drawer for a ballpoint pen and writes both Adam and Bert’s phone numbers down on his arm. With a full tattoo sleeve, it’s pretty difficult for anyone to see unless they’re specifically looking for it.

When he returns to the dining room, he sets the phone down on the table next to Gerard.

“God, my mom is annoying sometimes. I love her but, damn. She asked me like, three times if I was taking good care of myself. Oh! and she wanted to know how you were doing. She said she hasn’t seen you since last Christmas.”

Gerard laughs, blissfully unaware of the fact that Frank is trying so damn hard to act normal. He must be doing a pretty good job.

“Did you tell her I was doing alright?” Gerard asks.

Frank smiles.

“Yeah. I told her we’re still together and madly in love.”

“Aw! That’s so sweet.” Gerard laughs.

Frank cups Gerard’s face in his hands and kisses him, throwing him off a little. He wasn’t expecting it apparently, but, as soon as he realizes what’s going on, he kisses him back. There’s something about the kiss that makes him feel safe. It could be the familiarity of it; kissing someone he’s kissed a thousand times before.

He thinks about the kiss he shared with Adam last night and his heart flutters, making him feel a little guilty. It shouldn’t feel like cheating, since Gerard cheated on him first but, it does.

Much to Frank’s disappointment, Gerard ends the kiss first, pulling away to catch his breath.

“What was that for?” He asks, a big grin plastered all over his face. 

He’s looks cute. Frank wants to kiss him again so bad.

“I don’t know. I guess I just missed you last night.”

“Yeah?”

Gerard seems pleased that he had such a positive impact on Frank.

“Yeah.”

As much as Frank would love to kiss him again, he settles for sitting in the seat across from him so he can watch him work. He doesn’t want to let himself fall in love again, although he’s finding himself slipping.

“If I ask you for your opinion on anything, don’t give it to me, okay?” Gerard says gesturing towards his artwork. “I need to work on doing whatever the fuck I wanna do instead of second guessing myself based on what other people are into.”

Frank nods and promises to keep his input to himself. 

Gerard puts so much effort into pleasing other people. He’s always been that way. If Frank told him the sky was red, he’d agree just to prevent an argument. 

“You’re very non confrontational.” Frank says.

“Hm?”

“Never mind.”

“No. What were you saying?” Gerard sounds intrigued now. He’s not going to let it go.

“You just--You need to learn how to tell people to fuck off instead of just letting them shit all over your work. I mean, I’m not saying you shouldn’t listen to constructive criticism at all but if people give you an opinion you didn’t ask for, let ‘em know you didn’t ask for it.”

It’s been a while since they really had a heart to heart kind of talk, and Frank hopes that he’ll apply the advice to every aspect of his life. Not just his art. If he had just come to Frank and told him what he was missing in their relationship, maybe they could have fixed it together before he cheated. Instead, he swept it under the rug and moved on to other people.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Frank takes one of Gerard’s unused pens and rolls it back and forth across the width of the table.

“I know it’s probably easier said than done but, I think you can do it.”

The half-assed motivational speech seems to be just the thing Gerard needed to spark his creativity. Or, maybe it was the kiss. Either way, he starts making a lot more progress than he had been earlier. The drawing is starting to come together slowly but surely.

“Frank?”

“Don’t ask me for my opinion, remember?”

“I know. I wasn’t going to. I was gonna ask if you were pissed off at me for something.”

Oh God. Oh no. Frank wonders what might’ve given it away. He was so careful.

“Why would you think I was mad?”

“I don’t know. I just felt like you kinda were when you first got here.”  
“I’m not,” Frank reassures him, “If I were mad, I wouldn’t willingly show up here. Would I?

Hopefully, it’s a good enough answer. Gerard looks back down at his work and starts to draw again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this isnt going too slow. without giving too much away, get ready for some nastydirty scenes later on. thank yall so much for reading!!

Frank dials the number and waits for Bert to pick up. He kinda-sorta-but-not-really hopes that he won’t answer. All of the time in the world can’t prepare him for telling Bert that he’s being cheated on. Poor guy. Frank has an idea of how long they’ve been together. According to Gerard’s texts, they met about three months ago. That’s all Frank could get out of it, though. Just a general time frame. How long they’ve actually dating and how close they were is still a mystery. 

“Hello?”

Shit. Fuck. Shit.

“Hello?” Bert repeats. It’s funny, for some reason, Frank thought his voice would be a lot deeper than it actually is.

In the background, Frank can hear people talking. There’s a good possibility he could be with Gerard right now. 

“Is this Bert?” Frank asks. 

“Yeah. Who is this?”

The noise in the background fades. Bert must have stepped outside so he can hear better. The moment Frank has been dreading all morning has finally arrived. Here it comes.

“You don’t know me. I mean, I don’t think you do, unless Gerard has said something about me...” He stumbles over his sentences, the script he had mentally prepared earlier is completely gone, “I’m Frank. Are you with Gerard right now?”

It’s not going well so far.

“I don’t know who you are but, if you don’t tell me what you want, I’m gonna hang up. I don’t have time for this shit.”

Frank tries to swallow the the tight feeling in his throat. It’s now or never. He has to come clean. 

“I don’t know how to say this but, like, Gerard has been cheating on you with me and another guy. Sorry I couldn’t tell you in person. I hate that I can’t. But, if you wanna talk about it, we can work something out. I’m already in touch with the other dude.” 

Bert is silent for a moment. The only thing Frank can hear is white noise.

“Look, I’m on my lunch break right now. When I get home, I’m gonna call Gerard and ask--”

“No!” Frank cuts him off, suddenly. He absolutely cannot tell Gerard. That would ruin everything. “Just wait. Don’t say anything to him yet. It’s really important that he doesn’t know we know anything. He’ll only hide it better if he does. Please.”

Bert sighs; a good sign that he’s giving in.

“Alright. Where do you wanna meet? If you don’t bring any proof, I’m gonna tell Gerard.”

That’s something Frank will have to figure out later. All he has right now is his word. Adam might be able to back him up but, even that can only go so far. They need concrete evidence. 

“Do you know where Krave is? The gay bar?” Frank asks. It’s a pretty well known spot, and it’s in one of the safer parts of town. The perfect place to meet up with a stranger who may or may not be really fuckin’ angry with you.

“Yeah. I’ve driven past it a few times.”

“Okay. Good. Meet us there at nine tonight. We’ll both be there.”

He knows he probably shouldn’t just go ahead and volunteer Adam to be there with him, seeing as he really doesn’t know him very well. It’s beyond rude but, he did seem like he would be okay with it. Hopefully, he doesn’t have other plans. Otherwise, he’s gonna lose even more of Bert’s trust.

It’s only four now. Five more hours. Frank decides now would be a good time to call Adam and let him know what’s going on. It would be easier for both of them if they plan this whole meeting together.

“Hey. Adam? I called him and told him.”

“What did he say? Is he pissed?”

Frank flops down on his couch and picks up his TV remote, hoping that something on television will be able help him pass the time.

“He’s annoyed, yeah. I don’t think he believes me. He said he wanted us to bring some kind of proof that this is legit.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

A boy on TV hit a baseball with a bat, sending it flying across the field. This is boring. Next! Frank changes the channel again, as he tries to come up with an idea.

“I don’t know. If I could show him the texts somehow, I would. That’s all I’ve got, other than my word.”

“Could you get screenshots and send them to yourself?”

It’s not a bad idea, actually. Of course, he would have to be super careful to delete all of the evidence before Gerard sees it.

“Yeah. I guess I could. I’d have to come up with another excuse to use his phone, though. He was kinda weird about it last time I asked. Do you think I could just tell him I’m getting mine fixed? I’ll keep it off and hide it somewhere so he won’t find it.”

“Do it! Tell him it’s been freezing up and you gotta get it looked at.” 

Frank can practically hear the smile in Adam’s voice. They’ve got this. All they need to do now is execute it.

“So are you gonna come with me to meet Bert? We’re gonna meet at Krave at nine tonight. I can pick you up if you need help finding the place.”

Adam agrees. It would be good to have someone with Frank, just in case things go south. Going alone, even in a public place, isn’t the safest thing to do.

“It’ll take about thirty minutes to get from your place the the club, depending on how bad traffic is.” Frank says, staring blankly at the TV. A documentary about wolves is on but, he’s not even focused on it. His mind is on more important things. “So I guess I’ll see you at eight.”

“Alright. See you then.”

When Frank hangs up, he sits for a minute, trying to decide what to do next. He needs to get Gerard’s phone from him long enough to take the screenshots and send them. 

Assuming they haven’t been deleted already.

“Fuck.” He whispers to himself. Gerard has probably cleared all of his old messages by now, especially since Frank had used his phone earlier. He’s too smart to risk leaving them on there. He has a few texts and voicemails of his own but, nothing that would really give anything away. The most damning thing is a text message that ends with “love you.” That doesn’t mean shit. All of the voicemails are totally inoffensive.

If he could trap Gerard into letting something slip, that would be perfect. Even better if Adam had a few of his own. He sends a text to Adam first, letting him know what he has in mind.

 _sorry to bother u again_  
gerard has probably deleted  
the texts by now. im going to  
text him something dirty and see  
if i can get him to send something  
back  
He waits for a reply. If Adam sends him a dirty text, too, Gerard might get weirded out.

_k  
do you want me to send anything?_

It takes Frank a while to decide. Having evidence from both of them would obviously be better but, they have to get this just right. 

_ask him if hes free on sunday night_  
and tell him u bought condoms or  
something idk but dont send it  
until we get to krave 

Adam doesn’t reply after that and that’s okay with Frank. There’s no need for him to send another message just to say “ok.” Now, Frank has to think of something himself. Gerard isn’t much of a romantic so, sending something lovey-dovey would probably get a pretty neutral response. It has to be something he can’t back out of. Something that would definitely confirm their relationship.

_hey babe do u remember when our_  
first date was? i wanna do something  
for our anniversary this year can u  
beilive its been seven years? 

Good enough. Maybe it’s a little bit corny but, it’ll work. It doesn’t take Gerard long to send something back.

_Seven years already?  
IDK it was after your birthday._

And there it is. Frank saves the message and takes a screenshot to send to Adam. It’s absolutely perfect. There’s no way in hell Bert won’t believe it. He sends Adam the picture without any kind of caption. He’ll understand what it means.

When six o’clock finally rolls around, Frank decides he better get off of his lazy ass and get ready to leave. It takes about forty-five minutes to get to Adam’s house, plus extra time for a shower and everything else. If he doesn’t start getting ready right this second, he’ll probably end up being late. He doesn’t want Bert to think they’ve stood him up or something.

While he’s in the shower, Frank starts to imagine all the different ways this could go. It really depends on the type of person Bert is. If the phone call earlier is anything to go by, he’s not very patient, then again, it was a strange situation to be put it. He might be the sweetest motherfucker out there when he’s not being told that his boyfriend is sleeping around with other men.

The water is so warm, making it hard for Frank to get out of the shower. He starts to mentally divide up his time, trying to justify what feels like the longest, most relaxing shower, ever. If he rolls the car windows down while he’s driving, his hair would dry by the time he gets to Adam’s. Skipping his whole blowdrying session would save him at least five minutes.

He finally gives in. It’s now or never. The air outside of the steamy shower is way too cold but, the clock says it’s six-fifteen already. He can’t go back in now.

It takes longer than he thought to get ready, even without blowdrying his hair. When he shows up on Adam’s doorstep, he’s already ten minutes late.

“Finally! I was just about to call. What took you so long?” Adam huffs.

Frank blames it on the traffic. He’s not gonna admit that he wasted all that time.

“You might have to help me get there from here.” Frank says, “I think I know the way but I’m not sure where to turn once you get past that intersection. You know which one I’m talking about? There’s like a McDonald’s right by it...”

He waves his hands around, trying to draw out an imaginary map in the air in front of him.

“I know how to get there. Do you want me to drive? We can take my car.”

Frank shakes his head. He feels more comfortable driving his own.

“I’ll drive. Just tell me which way I’m supposed to turn.”

The traffic, fortunately, isn’t terrible tonight. The drive takes a lot less time that Frank had accounted for, and they end up a little early. The typical “eight-thirty crowd” is here; Older people getting their drink on after work. The college kids usually don’t come until later.

“We’re here kinda early.” Frank says, taking a seat at the bar. He isn’t planning on drinking tonight. He wants to be one-hundred percent sober when he confronts Bert.

Adam doesn’t seem to hear him. He’s already ordering his first drink.  
“Don’t get fuckin’ wasted until we talk to Bert.” Frank snaps, “If you make an ass out of yourself, he’s gonna walk right out that door and tell Gerard everything.”

“I’m a grown up, Frank.” Adam says. He looks offended that Frank would call him out like that.

“I know. I’m not trying to tell you what to do but just--”

He doesn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he lets Adam fill in the blanks himself.

“He should be here pretty soon.” Frank says.

“How are we gonna know who he is? Did you tell him what we look like?”

Frank pulls out his phone and checks to see if he has any missing calls or messages. Only one, from Gerard, asking what time he’ll show up tomorrow.

“The only thing I’ve seen is his dick.” He admits.

Adam looks shocked.

“He sent this guy’s nudes to his friend? Holy shit. I’m so fuckin’ glad I don’t send ‘em.”

Frank nods. He told Bob everything. Maybe he told other people, too. Who knows?

“Yeah. They were like, talking about it and shit.”

It didn’t seem as gross then as it does now that Frank is saying it out loud. He remembers seeing the conversation and telling himself that it was Bert’s fault for sending them to a man in a relationship even though he had no way of knowing. That’s not what he believes but, he loved Gerard so much, he would lie to himself to make it seem okay.

He feels sick to his stomach. Bert needs to hurry up and get here so they can ruin Gerard’s entire life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! i havent updated in forever. i didnt change much in this chapter from when i first posted because it's just kind of a filler thing. but anyways, sorry about the slow update. thank you so much for reading. comments and kudos mean so much :)

“Do you think he’s here yet?” Frank asks, scanning the bar for anyone that looks like they could possibly be Bert.

The bar is pretty crowded but, only a handful of people look like they would be Gerard’s type. Almost everyone is over the age of forty or just barely twenty-one. There aren’t very many in between.

“I don’t even know what the fucker looks like.” Adam says. His attitude is starting to get irritating. Frank decides to order a Coke. One of them has to be sober to confront Bert. Otherwise, all hell would probably break loose and Frank isn’t willing to embarrass himself like that in public. Adam and Bert can do what they want.

“Do you think that’s him?” Frank asks, subtly gesturing towards a short man dressed in a red t-shirt and blue jeans. “I think Gerard had mentioned he was short once.”

Adam rotates his entire body in his seat to see the man Frank is talking about.

“Don’t fuckin’ stare at him!” Frank snaps. 

The man gives them a strange look and then turns around to talk to a woman standing next to him. It looks like he’s here with her. That can’t be him. He would come by himself.

“I told him to meet us here at nine.” Frank says. He pulls out his phone to check the time. It’s past nine-thirty now. There’s still a pretty good chance he could be stuck in traffic, or having trouble finding a place to park. If he doesn’t live around here, he could just be lost.

“Did you tell him why?”

“Yeah. I told him that Gerard was cheating on him and I was gonna show him proof. I think he wanted to believe me but, he’s still kinda in denial.”

Another man enters the bar by himself. He looks around like he might be looking for someone. When he makes eye-contact with Frank, Frank smiles and motions for him to come over. 

If it’s not the right guy, he’ll just offer to buy him a drink anyway. He’s pretty cute.

“Are you Frank?” 

It’s him. Good. 

“Yeah. You must be Bert. It’s nice to meet you.”

It would be nicer to meet him under different circumstances but, Frank wants to be polite. He’s unsure of how Bert will take the news. 

You brought proof, right? I’m not gonna waste my time here if you don’t.”

He made that clear when he spoke to Frank on the phone. Showing up almost an hour later than he said he would was more of a time waster than anything else.

Frank pulls his phone out of his pocket and finds the messages from earlier. He hands it over slowly, giving Bert the opportunity to read them for himself. 

“That’s his number. Isn’t it?” Frank asks. The question is rhetorical. He knows it’s Gerard’s number but, he wants to hear Bert say it himself. 

“Fuck. It is. I didn’t know. How did you find out?” Bert asks, turning his attention back to Frank. 

Frank tells him the story of how he borrowed Gerard’s phone and went through all of his messages. He doesn’t leave out any small details. Bert needs to know the whole truth. 

 

The look in his eyes is damn near heartbreaking. He reads the texts over and over again, as if trying to make sense of it all. They all get quiet for a moment. Frank starts to sip on his Coke. Maybe if his mouth is full, Bert won’t ask him any questions.

“He said you gave the best blowjobs, though.” Adam says, as if somehow that make things okay again.

The look on Bert’s face goes from confusion to a mixture of embarrassment and horror. His cheeks turn a bright pinkish color.

“He said that to somebody?”

“Oh, that’s not even the worst of it. He said some nasty shit about us, Honey.” Adam replies. The bartender slides him a drink Frank didn’t even notice he had ordered. “But if it makes you feel any better, he said I was whiny.”

Bert chews nervously on his thumbnail. For a split second, it looks like he might cry but, he never does. Frank is glad Adam is taking over the conversation because he has no idea what to say next.

“How long was he cheating?” Bert asks. They don’t have the heart to tell him that he didn’t mean much to Gerard. He seems to think they were in love. The same way Frank did.

“He was with me for three years and with Frank about...six?” Adam holds up eight fingers to show six. Close enough. “So it’s been going on for years.”

Bert looks disappointed. 

“Yeah. I had no idea he was with anyone else. We were together for eight months. I thought we were gonna get married.” 

Gerard would never marry someone he’s only known for a little over half of a year. It’s just not like him. Frank doesn’t know why Bert was under the impression that he would. Who knows, though? Maybe they’ve talked about it. 

The bar is gradually starting to get more and more crowded and Frank is finding it harder to hear the other two. They both have soft voices that don’t carry very far. He suggests stepping outside for a smoke and they agree. 

“It was getting too crowded in there for me.” Frank says. He pulls his phone out of his pocket to see if he missed any calls or texts. Nothing. Gerard is still working on his painting. He’s not worried about where Frank is right now.

“I don’t know what to do now.” Bert sighs. “After I got clean, I kinda cut everybody out of my life. Gerard was really the only person I had left.”

Frank and Adam are both surprised that he would openly share something that personal with strangers. They don’t ask for details. He’s shared enough with just that one sentence.

“Remember, he still doesn’t know that we know, yet.”

It’s the only thing Frank can think of to say. He’s in almost the same position. After he started dating Gerard, he kind of drifted away from his other friends. It’s not that Gerard demanded all of his time and attention; he could have spent time with them anytime he wanted to, it’s just that Gerard was the only person he genuinely wanted to spend time with. Unlike Bert, though, he still has friends he can go to.

“If you want, I’ve got plenty of friends I could hook you up with.” Adam offers. He seems to be the only one unaffected by the whole ordeal. 

To Frank’s surprise, Bert actually seems like he might take him up on the offer. 

“I don’t know. I might need some time to think about it. Thanks, though. It’s gonna be hard for me to trust anyone right now.”

“We’ll get him back.” Frank reassures him. “I have your number still. If you feel up for it, tomorrow, we can make some plans. I want to make his life a living hell for a while.” 

For the first time since he arrived, Bert looks sort of happy.

“Alright. I’m gonna head home, I guess. Should I take him home, too?” He points at Adam who is now sitting with his back against the brick wall of the bar.

“I’m waiting for my friend to come pick me up. You guys can go.” He says, motioning towards the parking lot.

“I’ll stay and wait with him.” Frank says.

Bert needs time to himself. It’s best that he gets home. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because, I'm the worst, i forgot all about finishing this. this chapter didn't really change from the original but the ending will be different. sorry for the long ass wait for nothing.

“How about we make a sex tape and send it to him?” Adam suggests. It’s a horrible idea and he knows it, but no one else has been able to come up with anything better. They’ve been bouncing ideas off of each other all afternoon, trying to come up with the best form of revenge.

The original plan was for Frank to take Gerard out to dinner. When they got there, Bert and Adam would show up. That didn’t seem like quite enough, though. They need something that would be hard for him to forget. Besides, there’s a good chance Gerard would cause a scene in the middle of the restaurant and that would be really, really bad for everyone involved. A public confrontation would mean innocent bystanders having their meals ruined, and nobody is comfortable with that.

“Nah.” Frank replies, shaking his head. “I mean, I’d pay to see his reaction but, that means we would actually have to fuck in front of a camera and I don’t think I can do that. I’m too camera shy.”

“You and Gee never made a sex tape?” Adam asks, “I mean,I wouldn’t have done it with him, but ya’ll were together for so long, I’m surprised you never tried it. What about you, Bert?”

Bert doesn’t seem to mind the question. He’s perked up considerably since last night. Of course, his cheery mood is more likely the result of marijuana than anything else. Just because he seems happy, doesn’t mean he’s over what happened yet. Frank keeps this in mind.

"We never even fucked. I only got to blow him twice, once in the back of a movie theater and once in some dude's backyard. I don’t think a sextape would be a good idea, either though. I mean, if he has access to it, he’d probably post it online or something. We’d be fucked if it leaked."

Hearing them talk about Gerard like that suddenly makes Frank feel uncomfortable and out of place. There's a feeling of jealousy bubbling up inside of him. Gerard did things with them that he would never do with him. That's why he cheated. Frank wasn't enough for him.

He imagines Bert on his knees in the dark theater, eyes watering and cheeks flushed, as Gerard tries his best to stifle his moans. Someone could catch them at any given moment and that just makes it even more fun.

Adam is completely wrapped up in Bert's story. His eyes shine as Bert recounts the story.

"A theater? Shit, man, that's a fuckin' classic. That's like, some nineties porno shit right there."

"Yeah. It was in that new theater down by the mall. Hardly anyone was there but, it was still fun. He's so fuckin' loud. I thought the people in front of us were gonna hear him."

Bert imitates Gerard's moans, over exaggerating them to the point where it sounds ridiculous. Adam cackles at Bert's noises.

"That sounds just like him! We never did anything in public but, I got him to choke me a couple of times. That was pretty cool.”

Frank mutters something about going out for a smoke. It's a believable excuse to leave. This whole thing was a mistake.

He imagines Gerard's hand wrapped firmly around Adam’s throat as he fucks him hard on the couch.

“You okay, Frank?” Bert asks, as Frank turns to leave. “You got really quiet. We can stop talking about it if it bothers you that much.”

“No. I’m good. I’m just gonna step outside. I’ll be right back.” The distress in his voice is painfully obvious but, Frank doesn’t really care. It doesn’t matter what they think. They’re the ones who fucked his relationship with Gerard. If they didn’t happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, none of this would have happened. They should have made sure he wasn’t in a relationship before they got involved with him. All they had to do was ask and they didn’t.

Outside, the weather is cool and sunny. Frank leans against the wall of the house, hoping that no one comes to check on him. Across the street, a group of teenages ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk as their parents watch. It looks like they might be having some kind of a barbeque.

He imagines Gerard’s soft hands all over someone else.

His hands shake as he shoves them into the pockets of his jacket, trying to find his cigarettes. They’re still inside on the kitchen table.

“Shit.”

Frank takes a couple of slow, deep breaths. It’s not as soothing as a cigarette but, he can’t go back inside just yet.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The sound of Bert's voice breaks the peaceful silence. Great. "If you're still down, we think we may have come up with a pretty good plan."

Frank shakes his head.

"I don't know. I just, I know it's fucked up and I shouldn't be in love with him anymore but, I can't imagine what my life would be like without him."

There's something about Bert that makes Frank trust him. Physically, he almost looks like he would be able to kick Frank's ass if he were just a little bit taller but, he has a very gentle aura about him.

"I don't know what to tell you. Look, I could give you the whole 'fish-in-the-sea' speech but we both know that's a load of bullshit. You'll never be able to get the time you spent with him back so, you can either stay bitter or try to move on."

He's right, even though that's easier said than done.

"If you and Adam hadn't-"

Bert cuts him off. His demeanor changes instantly. There goes the “gentle aura.”

"How is any of this our fault? I'm fuckin' devastated. I have to move back to Utah because there's nothing left for me here. You think I asked for that?"

Frank doesn't respond. His throat tightens and his eyes sting. He tries to focus on the people across the street to keep from crying.

"And Adam won't say it to your face because he doesn't wanna be 'whiny' but, he's just as fucked up as we are. Don't fuckin' act like we're the ones at fault just because you're so far up Gerard's ass you don't wanna believe he can do anything wrong."

The front door opens just enough for Adam to see what all the yelling is about.

"I heard my name. Are you guys okay?" He asks sheepishly.

Frank takes another deep breath. The lump in his throat subsides enough to where he can speak without sobbing.

"Yeah. We're good. So, what's your plan?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is like a totally gratuitous smut scene. You can totally skip it and wait until the next chapter and you won't miss anything. 
> 
> also, this is my first time doing smut that wasn't just for friends so please be nice. it was hard especially with a pairing i'm not super into so sorry if it's bad. i did my best
> 
> proofreading literally didnt happen here so just ignore ny mistakes or call em out or whatever.

By the time ten-fifteen rolls are still at Adam's place, drinking, and smoking, and laughing about anything and everything.

This isn't even about Gerard anymore. Making new friends feels like a breath of fresh air to Frank. At one point, Gerard was his whole world. He cringes as he remembers how afraid he was of Gerard leaving him. He felt like a piece of his life would be missing. There were things he liked about him, sure, but he was also constantly smothered; afraid of being alone. Now, he feels free to flirt, and touch, and be touched. The subtle fog looming over every social interaction is gone.

"I wasn't joking about the blowjob thing." Adam says, resting his head on Frank's shoulder. Frank doesn't remember, exactly, when the conversation turned dirty. It could have been his joke about drunk sex. Who knows? Who cares? He's not complaining. Bert and Adam don't know him well at all. He's starting this new friendship from scratch. Reinventing himself after years of the same  
old shit.

"What blowjob thing?" Bert asks.

All their dirty laundry has been aired already. There's really no sense in not telling him.

"I told Frank I'd be down if he wanted to teach me how to give good head." Adam replies, "I don't know if he took me seriously, though."

They both look over at Frank, waiting for some kind of confirmation. He feels jittery and almost lightheaded with excitement. He knows where tonight is headed and he's more than happy to let it happen. Without being tied to his now-ex, he can fuck whoever he wants.

"Honestly, I would have asked Bert first since he was, apparently, the best at 'em but, I'm down if you are."

Bert shrugs, not knowing how else to reply. He’s so flattered by the fact he’s now known amongst the group as The Best at something.

"I'll let Frank have this one." He laughs.

Adam asks Frank again, one last time just for reassurance, if he's sure this is okay.

"Yeah. I'm serious. Gerard never did it, and I never fuckin' cheated. It's been a long time."

Seven years is a long damn time for someone who hates giving head but likes getting it. Frank's pulse quickens at the thought of somebody's mouth around him.

"Cool. So, I guess like, take your pants off."

The tone of Adam's voice is casual like, he's asking Frank to pass the salt at the dinner table. Something about it is an instant turn-on. Frank doesn't know if it's the liberating feeling of being single again or, the fact he's not under any kind of pressure to get someone else off. He's loving it  
either way. It doesn't really matter.

He scoots towards the edge of the couch, and slides his jeans down around his knees. They probably won’t take things any further than oral so, there’s no point in taking the time to undress completely. 

“Get a room! You guys are fuckin’ gross!” Bert teases. He laughs as he watches Adam plop down on his knees in front of the couch. 

“Hey, you can either help, watch, or go in the other room. It’s up to you.” Adam says. They don’t mind that Bert is still here, watching curiously to see if they’re seriously about to do what they said they’re about to do. He’s more than welcome to step out if he wants to.

“Alright, alright. I’ll think about it.” Bert says, before he moves over and takes a seat on the floor next to Adam. 

It’s so hard for Frank to even fathom what’s happening. He’s never tried anything like this before and, he never thought he ever would. 

Adam places a trail of kisses along Frank’s bare upper thigh. So far, so good. He’s not doing too bad. Maybe he was right all along. It’s could have just been Gerard’s fault.

“You want me to take these off?” He asks, gesturing towards Frank’s boxer briefs. 

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

He raises his hips a little so Adam can slips them down with his pants. He’s only semi-hard and a tiny bit self-conscious with Bert just sitting there watching. It’s not a bad feeling, though. Exhibitionism is something he decides to remind himself to explore sometime in the future.

Adam looks down at Frank’s dick, and then back up at him, before taking about half of it into his mouth.

And then he just stops for a brief moment, unsure of what to do next.

Frank grabs handfuls of hair and tugs gently, trying to urge him to do something.

“Go ahead.” He says. 

So, Gerard was right after all. Yikes!

Out of the corner of his eye, Frank can see Bert get up off the floor. He can feel the couch dip when he sits down next to him.

Adam tries to take more of his length and, it really should feel good but it just doesn’t. It’s not working. Frank can’t put his finger on what it is exactly. He’s sucking too hard or his tongue isn’t in the right place or something.

He decides to wait it out and see if it gets any better. There’s still a chance--

“Oh God!” Frank yelps. “No teeth!”

Adam pulls away. The feeling of cold air on his wet junk is the worst feeling and even Frank is shocked that he hasn’t gone completely soft yet.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to use teeth. They just get in the way.”

“Just try to relax your jaw, maybe. That might help.”

Frank knows what feels good. He just doesn’t know how to put it into words.

Adam’s second attempt is better but, not great. Frank tries to focus on the sexy things. Even if he’s almost comically awful at oral, he’s trying so damn hard to please Frank. That’s pretty hot, at least. 

Bert leans over and nuzzles the side of Frank’s neck, kissing him softly all along his throat and jaw line. His facial hair tickles; another thing Frank hasn’t experienced in a long time. Gerard can’t grow a beard to save his life. It always ends up as patches of wispy little hairs.

“Fuck.” Frank sighs. Having two attractive boys on him at the same time is better than Frank could have ever imagined.

By now, he’s harder than he thinks he’s ever been. Adam takes Frank’s advice to heart and relaxes some. It seems to have helped. Still not the best but better.

Frank turns his head and kisses Bert on the side of the mouth, just barely missing his target. It’s kind of an awkward angle for kissing. Bert doesn’t seem to even notice. He reciprocates, ever-so-fuckin-gently tugging at Frank’s bottom lip with his teeth. 

Kissing always makes everything better. Right now, it offers a bit of a distraction from the fact that he’s still receiving the most mediocre blowjob in existence. He breaks the makeout session suddenly to catch his breath.

“Can you just be still and let me fuck your mouth?” Frank asks. “I wanna fuck your face.”

He has an idea that might work if Adam is okay with it. He likes being choked. Maybe the feeling of being suffocated will work the same way. 

Adam looks up at him and pulls away, slowly this time, letting his tongue flick over the tip for a split second.

“Yeah. I can do that.”

He looks pleased with himself. Like, he’s finally found something he might be good at.

Bert is still touching and kissing Frank, wherever he can reach, making it hard to focus on anything else.

“What if I like, made it to where you couldn’t breathe for a little while? Would you be cool with that? You can just pinch my thigh if you want me to stop.” Frank says. He wants to make sure they’re both clear on what’s going on. No surprises.

Adam looks excited. Perfect. He wraps his lips around Frank’s cock again, trying to take more than he did before.

Frank thrusts his hips upward and downward, slowly at first, being careful not to gag him.

“Fuck. That feels good. You’re doing so good.” Frank mutters, quietly.

Adam is doing his best when he’s not doing anything at all.

With one hand, he holds Adam’s nose shut cutting off his air. He only plans on doing it for a few short periods of time. Accidental death is definitely not something that’s gonna happen on Frank’s watch. The whole thing, in Frank’s opinion, is really hot; Facefucking one man while making out with another. It isn’t much longer before he finishes.

His whole body shudders and he grabs at Adam’s hair with both hands, holding him still when as he comes. Adam whines and pulls away as soons as he gets the chance.

“I’m so sorry. Oh my God.” Frank says. He’s absolutely mortified that he didn’t give much of a warning.

Adam spits onto the carpet, after a minute of coughing and gagging, and then laughs. 

“It’s fine. I mean, you could have warned me but, at least you didn’t come ten seconds into it.”

Frank knows he’s making a dig at Gerard. 

Bert is cackling beside him, watching everything unfold.

“I’m so glad I passed on that offer.” He says. “I’ll blow you next time, Frank. We’ll have to see who’s better at it.”

Even though Frank knows Bert will win, he still accepts the challenge.

Being single has never been more fun.


	8. Chapter 8

Gerard knows something but, Frank doesn’t know what. It’s easy to tell when Gerard is upset. He completely shuts down and isolates himself until the feeling passes. This time is no different. Frank doesn’t know if he should ask what’s wrong or if he should just wait for the ball to drop. It’s gonna get ugly either way.

He knocks on Gerard’s bedroom door.

“Come in.”

Gerard’s room looks more like it would belong to a teenager living in the late 1990s than a thirtysomething artist with a pretty decent job. The walls are covered from baseboard to ceiling with all kinds of horror movie posters and sketches. Little figurines and trinkets are lined up on every possible surface. Frank thinks it looks tacky but, in a way, it’s endearing.

“Are you okay, Gee?” You’ve been really quiet all day. I just thought that maybe...” He stops his sentence right there. That’s enough to make it sound like he’s really worried.

Well, he is worried but, for a totally different reason.

“So, who have you been fucking behind my back the last couple of days?” Gerard asks.

The response takes Frank by surprise. Partly because he never thought Gerard would ever suspect anything, and partly because he’s right. Well, technically, he’s a little off base. Frank hasn’t fucked anyone yet. He played around but, he didn’t actually straight up go dick to ass with anyone. It’s not nearly as bad as what Gerard is doing behind his back.

“What are you talking about?” Frank asks. “I’m with you like, all the time. When would I have time to even find somebody to fuck?”

 

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You’ve been leaving for hours at a time and not telling anyone where you are.”

That’s not even a fair argument. They don’t live together. As far as Gerard knows, Frank was at home by himself watching TV and eating cereal. There’s no proof he was doing anything wrong.

“I went shopping and then I hung out with Jamia a few times. Didn’t I tell you that?”

Gerard tucks his hair behind his ears. It’s getting long. Frank had told him when they first started dating that he liked his hair shorter better.

“Jamia told me she hasn’t seen you in two weeks.”

Frank can practically feel his face turning pale. If there was any chance of them staying together, it’s gone now. There’s a part of him that wants to bring up Bert and Adam but, it’s not the right time, yet.

“Okay, I’ve been hanging out with some new friends. The reason I never told you was because you’re like this. You’re so fucking jealous of every guy that I talk to. Honestly, you’re so damn insecure, I’d suspect you were the one cheating.”

When in doubt, gaslight ‘em.

Gerard has the actual audacity to look offended.

“I’m like what? When have I ever been jealous?”

Frank crosses his arms over his chest, trying to make himself seem smaller. He knows a fight is gonna happen and there’s nothing he can do to stop it.

“Like, right now! You called Jamia to check up on me. If you trusted me...”

There’s no point in finishing. Gerard knows.

“So, are you gonna give me names?” Gerard asks.

Now, Frank is at a dead end. He can’t tell him. He’ll know exactly who it is but, if he refuses to give names, he’ll be even more suspicious.

“Look, Gerard, last time I went to that bar with Jamia, which, she can clarify really happened; I met a group of people that were really cool. Okay? Two girls and two guys. I just feel like, we’re always together, and we share the same friends, and I just wanted my own space.”

He didn't plan this long, drawn-out speech. It was something he came up with on the spot, and he honestly really proud that he did. Gerard’s body language changes from angry to something in between hurt and understanding with just a subtle hint of embarrassment. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted space?” He asks.

It should be other way around. Why didn’t Gerard ever tell Frank he wanted to move on?

“I don’t know. I guess I thought that you would be upset or something. If you wanna meet ‘em, I guess we can all go out Friday night. I’ll call and see.”

Obviously, there are no other people. Frank has until Friday to break up with him. Three days. Seventy-two hours.

Gerard looks guilty. He’s always been so gullible. It works in Frank’s favor.

“Okay, from now on, we should be honest with each other. Forget this ever happened.”

He’s still reeling from the fact he was “proven wrong.” Frank decides to give him one last chance to confess.

“Is there anything you wanna tell me? Like, anyone you have a little crush on at work or something?” Frank asks. 

He uses the most juvenile terms he can to keep it casual and non accusatory.

“Nope. It’s mostly just old dudes at work. I don’t think any of them could replace you.” Gerard replies.

He’s lying through his fucking teeth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a boring chapter. sorry. thank you all so much for your kudos and comments and subscriptions! i really, really, really appreciate it :)


	9. Chapter 9

Bert’s apartment doesn’t look the way Frank thought it would. For some reason, he always thought it would be a disaster. Instead, it’s actually really tidy and almost completely empty. Almost like something out of a shitty porno. Plain white walls, cream colored carpet, a couch, and an old recliner.

“So has he caught on yet?” Bert asks.

Frank doesn’t know if he should tell the truth or not. Giving him the real answer might scare him into doing something drastic and that’s definitely not good.

“Nah. He’s a dumbass. I always knew he was gullible but, I never realized he was this stupid.” Frank says.

He knows Gerard is smart, one of the smartest people he knows, in fact. But he’s so fucking tired and angry. He wants to put him down every chance he gets. It’s petty but, whatever. He deserves it.

Bert seems to relax a little, leaning back on the couch. Frank wonders what he does all day. He doesn’t have a TV or anything. There’s absolutely nothing to do here other that sit on the couch and stare at the wall.

“Sorry, it’s so fuckin’ boring here.” Bert says, as if reading Frank’s thoughts. “I just moved here not too long ago and I really don’t have the money to buy new shit that I don’t need. Most of the time I just drive around and find things to do. You’d be surprised how much I spend on gas. Holy shit.”

He talks fast and his eyes light up every time he speaks, even when he’s talking about the most mundane things. He’s very passionate, the same way Gerard is. That might be why Frank finds him so appealing. 

“Where did you come from?” Frank asks. He knows Bert has probably told him before, maybe even a few times but, he doesn’t remember and he’s curious to know more about him.

“Utah.”

“Utah?”

“Yeah. Utah. It’s beautiful there. Like, the trees and shit. It’s just really fuckin’ boring. Nothin’ to do other than drugs once you leave the Mormon church.”

The way he says it makes it sound like it’s inevitable. 

“So what brought you here?” Frank asks.

Bert doesn’t seem to mind his prying.

“Change of scenery I guess. I met Gerard about two weeks after I moved. He was really the only person I hung out with because he had just gotten clean and sober, too so we kinda bonded over that.”

In the seven years they were together, Gerard had never once mentioned any problem with alcohol. Frank had seen him drinking plenty of times but, never to the point of getting completely wasted. He lied to somebody. Whether it was Frank or Bert, they aren’t sure but the stories don’t match up. 

Either Gerard was an alcoholic before he met Frank and he manages his intake really well, or he never had a problem and he’s lying to Bert. It’s fucked up no matter what.

“He never told me about that. I wonder what else he lied about.” Frank says, glumly.

“Who knows? Fuck. His name might not even be Gerard for all we know. Fuck him.”

Frank thinks it’s best to end the discussion there. Dwelling on the past and being bitter isn’t healthy for anyone.

“At least we got to meet each other, right?” Frank says, cheerfully. “I mean, it was under the worst possible circumstances but, still.”

Gerard had kept them both a such a short leash for so long that they never realized how isolated they were. 

“Yeah. Like, shit. I’m kinda glad shit went south. We almost had a fuckin’ threesome.”

Frank kinda wishes Bert wouldn’t bring it up now that he’s not crazy turned on. Finishing unexpectedly in Adam’s mouth wasn’t his finest moment.

“That was wild.” Frank says.

Bert combs through his hair with his fingers and smiles.

“You seem like you would be more of a giver than a receiver, though.”

He says it as a joke but, Frank really understands what he’s getting at. He shifts around in his spot on the couch, trying to get comfortable. 

“Really? Gerard never bottomed. That was one thing he wouldn’t do. I don’t get what the deal was.”  
Bert laughs. His high pitched giggle reminds Frank a lot of Gerard’s laugh. Memories of the good times they had together flash through his mind for a second and he has to remind himself that it’s over.

“I wouldn’t know. I never fucked him. But, I would have thought you and Gerard would have been one of those couples that kinda switched. Y’know? Like, one day you take it and the next day he does. I would definitely pin Adam as a bottom, though.”

The room gets darker as clouds block the sun. The weatherman said there was a seventy percent chance of rain today. Maybe he got one right this time.

“Well, apparently not because he can’t suck a dick to save his life.”

Frank’s blunt honesty makes Bert giggle again.

“Was it that bad?”

“Yeah. It was pretty bad.”

Now is the perfect time to bring up Bert’s offer from before. Frank would do it but, he doesn’t know if Bert even remembers. The last thing he wants to do is look desperate. 

Then again, the other man has no problem talking about who’s fucking and who’s getting fucked. He was the one who brought it up in the first place.

“Hey, I’d still take you up on that offer.” Frank says, casually.

If he plays it cool, he can always take it back and say it’s a joke.

Bert raises his eyebrows.

“I don’t blame you. How ‘bout we wait until all three of us are together again, though? That can be our thing.”

Frank thinks back on the other night. It doesn’t take much convincing to get him to do it again.

“Alright. We can do it on Friday or Saturday, maybe. I’m gonna break up with Gerard on Friday.”

Planning what might be a threesome is another thing Frank never thought he would try. Sex has always been a spontaneous thing in all of his relationships. Scheduling it is...different. Not bad, just not what he’s used to.

“Let’s fuckin’ do it, then.” Bert says, holding out his fist for a fistbump. 

God, he’s so fucking cute.


	10. Chapter 10

Frank feels like he’s going to be sick. Gerard has no idea what’s coming. He cracks his knuckles and fidgets impatiently, trying to keep himself occupied.

“So when are your friends gonna show up?” Gerard asks.

He’s suspicious. He knows something is up. If Adam and Bert would just fucking hurry up...

“They’ll be here. You know how traffic is at this time.”

The waitress comes by the table again, asking them if they’re absolutely sure they don’t want an appetizer to start with.

Frank orders a glass of wine. It has some kind of fancy name he can barely pronounce, and he has no idea what it actually tastes like but, he needs something to calm his nerves. The last seven years are about to go down the drain in just a matter of minutes. As soon as they get here, it’ll all be over.

They decided at the last minute, meeting Gerard together in a public place would be the best way to go about confronting him. It’s the safest way,at least. If something were to happen, there would be witnesses.

“Here you go. Can I get you guys anything else?” The waitress asks, as she sets the glass down in front of Frank. 

They can tell she knows something isn’t right. Her cheery smile doesn’t quite match up with the look of concern in her eyes.

“No thank you, we’re fine.” Frank says, and then he adds: “I guess the traffic must be crazy tonight. Our coworkers should have been here by now.”

She looks relieved. Frank doesn’t know what she thought was going on but, whatever it was, it doesn’t seem to be bothering her now. His excuse was plausible enough.

Suddenly, Gerard’s face turns red. There’s a reason Frank requested the booth where Gerard could see the entrance. 

They’re here and he sees them. Both. Together. At the same time. Being aware of each others’ presence. 

“You okay?” Frank asks. “You look like you’re gonna puke.”

He’s gonna feign ignorance. Gerard won’t admit what’s wrong. He’ll just have to sit there and suffer.

“Yeah. It’s kinda hot in here. So, where are your friends? You said they would be here and it’s been an hour. It doesn’t take that fucking long to get here even with traffic.”

He’s pissed. The more stressed he gets, the more desperate he is to pin this all on Frank.

“I don’t know. I’ll go call them real quick. Hold on.”

Gerard nods, eager for Frank to leave. As soon as Frank heads for the restroom, Bert turns and looks Gerard dead in the eyes.

He just smiles and winks.

Adam and Bert definitely know what’s up but, Gerard isn’t sure if Frank knows yet. He’s so nervous; sweating bullets. There’s no way he can tell but, he can’t ask.

“Alright. I’m back. I couldn’t get ahold of them so maybe they’re drive--What are you looking at? Do you see someone you know?”

Yes he does. He knows them all too well.

“No. I’m just spacing out. Why are you being so weird?”

Typical Gerard, twisting the truth to make it all someone else’s fault. This is why, Frank reminds himself, he’s leaving. Relationships shouldn’t be like this. It’s not healthy for either of them.

“I’m not.”

“Yeah. You are. You made up these ‘friends’ and now you’re accusing me of staring at someone.”

It’s funny how childish he sounds. 

“I didn’t make them up. They’re here right now.”

His voice shakes. Gerard knows now.

Frank turns around and motions for Adam and Bert to come over. A few people watch, probably waiting to see how all of these dirty-looking, underdressed men know each other.

Nobody speaks at first. Bert sits next to Frank and Adam sits by Gerard. They all look at each other, as if waiting for something to happen on it’s own.

“So?” Bert asks.

That’s enough to get the ball rolling.

Gerard looks down at the table in shame. Frank takes a big swallow of his wine. He wishes he were drunk for this.

“So was I not enough for you?” He asks. “You had to string them along, too?”

“I’m sorry.”

There isn’t much else he can say.

“You wanna tell us why you thought it was cool to talk shit to your friends?” Bert asks. 

He’s seething now. It’s like seeing Gerard apologize flipped some kind of switch.

Gerard repeats himself. He’s sorry. Of course he’s sorry. He’s sorry he got caught. Not that he cheated. If he had remorse, he wouldn’t have kept it up.

“You embarrassed all of us. Sorry isn’t gonna cut it.”

Several people are fully invested in watching the drama unfold now. They know they need to lower their voices or the phones will come out. The last thing anyone wants is a viral video of a fight between four men in a fancy restaurant going around on the internet.

“What do you want me to do?” Gerard asks.

Frank shrugs. He doesn’t want anything except the last seven years back.That won’t happen, obviously, so there’s nothing left.

“We want an explanation.” He says. “We wanna know what you were thinking. Why none of us were good enough.”

Gerard takes a deep, shaky breath and looks at Bert. He’s going to have to explain one by one. There’s no way he can make a run for it with Adam sitting there, trapping him in.

“Bert, I really admire you. You’re a tough fucker, I just had a hard time seeing you as more than just, a friend. You seemed like someone I could settle down with because we went through a lot of the same shit and you were so excited about life and the future and everything...”

He speaks in past tense like, Bert isn’t the same person without him. Frank is disgusted. What Gerard said is true, he’s gotten past a really bad couple of years, apparently. But, that has nothing to do with him. Bert did that on his own. 

Frank wants to call Gerard out on it but, he lets him finish. He wants to hear this.

“So, you were just gonna tolerate me because you want someone to relate to? Fuck you.” Bert spits. 

“I wasn’t tolerating you. I love you. I’m just not attracted to you.”

That doesn’t make things better. Frank wonders why he’s even trying anymore.

“Adam, I think you’re really fun but, that’s it. You’re not good for much else. I liked hanging out, though. You’re just not someone I can really take seriously.”

For the first time since Frank has known him, Adam doesn’t have anything to say. This isn’t exactly breaking news. He’s known it for a long time. Hearing it in front of his new friends still hurts, though.

“Frank...”

Here it comes. The truth finally comes out.

“I guess I just got bored with you. I don’t know. I love you, though.”

He’s been right all along.

“It’s okay.” Frank says. “I was getting kind of bored with you, too. Your boyfriends seem like they would be better in bed. They’d probably be more adventurous. Don’t you think?”

He doesn’t admit that they’ve done anything together. He just wants to embarrass Gerard a little; Remind him that they’re all friends and he’s the outsider now.

It’s over.

It’s finally fucking over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is it. im thinking about actually writing a threesome scene as it's own oneshot since I couldnt really fit it in the story and I didn't wanna rag it on forever. thank you so much for reading this wild ass roller coaster of a fic. it's nice to end it (again) <3


	11. Chapter 11

“So what are you gonna do now?” Bert asks.

Frank doesn’t know how to answer that one. He never made any solid plans. There was always the tiniest hope that he and Gerard would get back together but now, it’s totally over. There’s no way either one of them can recover from what happened. If anyone, the only person that might have a shot at getting back with Gerard is Adam. He suffered the least amount of emotional damage from the whole ordeal. Frank doubts it would happen, though. 

“What are you gonna do?” He asks, throwing Bert’s question right back at him. 

“I don’t know. I’ll probably go back to Utah. Don’t know what else to do.”

The car radio is blasting music, filling the car with noise to avoid the weird tension. Frank looks out the window and sings along to himself, a sense of peace finally washing over him. He never has to see Gerard again.

“Do you think he’d try to get back with you?” Adam asks, changing the subject quickly.

Frank can’t really tell if he’s asking him or Bert but, he answers anyway.

“Maybe. I can’t see him doing it now. But, once the initial embarrassment wears off, he’ll probably try to get with one of us.”

The thing about Gerard is, he may be the worst liar ever but, he’s damn good at manipulation. Frank can just imagine what kinds of stunts he’s going to pull. He’ll turn it on them somehow. Saying, Frank didn’t fuck him enough, or Bert was too sensitive, or Adam drank too much. It’ll be their fault.

“Would you take him back?” Bert asks.

Frank gets the strange feeling he’s being targeted for something. He thinks they might think he’s still head over heels in love with Gerard and they’re afraid he’ll be dragged back.

“No way.”

That’s a lie. He’s embarrassed to admit that there’s a pretty good chance that he’d work things out with Gerard with some counseling and hard work. No matter how angry he is with him, he just can’t seem to move on.

“That wasn’t very convincing but, okay. It’s not my business.” Bert says.

It really isn’t any of their business. He’s right. 

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. If it happens, it happens. I don’t think he’ll cheat again.”

Beside him, Adam snorts and looks out the window, trying to hide the fact that he just can’t believe Frank would honestly think Gerard wouldn’t cheat on him.

“You think he would do it again? I mean, you would know considering you both slept around on each other.” Frank snaps.

He’s going off on full attack mode now. They can’t judge him for considering it when they would probably do the same. It’s not fair.

“Hey. I was open with him. He knew everyone I was with. I wouldn’t have had a problem with him fuckin’ y’all if he would have told me about it.”

“So, you’d be okay with sleeping with a guy who was in a relationship as long as he--” Frank starts, before Bert cuts him off.

“Can you guys stop? I’m trying to drive and I don’t know where the hell I’m going. Where do I turn here?”

Frank tells him that the fastest way to his house is taking a left at the intersection and then heading north.

“Honestly, I’d get back with him, too.” Bert says, after a few minutes of silence. “Only because it would be nice to have someone to help me out financially while I get back on my feet. I’d still hate him.”

It break Frank’s heart that Bert has nothing here for him. He thinks back on his near-empty apartment. That’s such a shitty way to live.

“What if we bought a house together? I think all of us planned on moving in with Gerard at some point. It wouldn’t be much different.” Frank asks. 

It could either be the best or the worst suggestion he’s ever had. Moving in with friends never ends well. But, they’re not really close friends. They just met. Maybe it would be an exception to the rule. 

“I don’t know...”

Bert sounds reluctant but, Frank thinks he’ll warm up to the idea. He was so excited about the idea of marrying Gerard and moving into a new place together. It would be the same thing but without the cheating artist pretending to be in love with him.

“I mean, we have plenty of time to talk about it. It’s just an idea. Nothing has to happen right now.”

He’s gonna be lonely without Gerard and he knows it. Even though he still has other friends, he never spent as much time with them as he did with him.They all grew apart. Or, maybe he pushed them away. He still doesn’t know yet. Jamia still talks to him from time to time but, it’s mainly general, freindly chat. Nothing deep and personal anymore.

“I’d do it.” Adam says. “We’d have to set some ground rules, though.”

The car finally pulls up in Frank’s driveway. He’s finally home again. This car ride felt like it would never end.

“You have my number, right?” He asks.

Bert and Adam both nod.

“Just call me if you decide what you wanna do or, if you just wanna hang out or whatever. I’ll be here.”

He hopes they do. Someone needs to help him keep him from missing Gerard.

“Alright.” Bert says, “I’ll let you know what I decide.”

Frank can feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. It’s a text from Gerard.

hey frank.  
im really sorry  
come over so we can talk

He deletes the message. This can’t happen again. He has to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's finally over!!!!! i still cant thank yall enough for reading this mess. i left the ending kind of open for a short sequel and i'll probably do a few oneshots based in the same AU so keep ur eyes peeled for some. 
> 
> (there's definitely gonna be some smut but anyways......)


End file.
